The present invention relates to a device for positioning and guiding the cutting of an opening in a wall.
Several tools and devices are used for measuring and cutting an opening on a wall. The standard methods of cutting such an opening require the use of several tools and a series of steps when using the various tools. For instance, the location of the opening relative to the side edge and bottom edge of the wall is first measured with a ruler. Then the measurements are transcribed to the paneling where the opening is to be cut. Once the location is marked on the paneling the opening is traced thereon with a stencil and the opening is cut according to the marking. These steps are repeated for every single opening to be cut even when the only change is in the size of the opening or in the vertical or horizontal position of the opening (see FIG. 1A). Thus, such procedures are tedious, since they require several steps prior to the final cutting step of the opening in the wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,219 is concerned with a device comprising a template for cutting an opening, the template being slidably secured on a ruler such as a wallboard""s square or a carpenter""s square. The template slides along the long member of the wall board""s square to position and install the outlet boxes according to the building specifications. The template is then used to accurately position the corresponding wallboard, sheeting or paneling. This step is repeated for every single opening to be cut.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,113 is concerned with a device for locating an accessory with respect to a vertical wall stud so that an opening can be cut in a panel or a sheet of dry wall to accommodate the accessory before the panel is attached to the wall.
As can be noted, the devices that are known and used to this day require several steps of measuring the opening""s location, transcribing the measurements on a paneling, tracing the outline of the opening with a stencil and cutting the opening on the marked paneling. These steps are needed for the cutting of every-single opening, even for openings having the same position but differing only in the shape or orientation of the opening (as seen in FIG. 1A).
Therefore, there is a need for providing a tool that overcomes most of the inconvenience encountered with the use of standard tools and methods for cutting an opening on a planar surface.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device that would overcome most of the above-addressed problems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that simplifies the cutting of an opening on a surface.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a device that is versatile in that it allows the cutting of an opening in different orientations without requiring carrying out the initial steps of measuring, transcribing and tracing the position of the opening.
More precisely, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a device for positioning and cutting an opening in a surface, the device comprising:
a positioner with a main axis, mountable on a ruler in a sliding relationship with the same along a direction parallel to the main axis; and
a cutting template interconnected to the positioner so as to be movable with the same, for guiding the cutting of the opening in the wall, the cutting template being selectively rotatable between a first position where a longitudinal axis of the same is parallel to the main axis of the positioner and a second position where said longitudinal axis is at right angle with the main axis.
The present invention is also concerned with a method for positioning and cutting an opening in a wall for an electric box, the method comprising the steps of:
a) measuring the vertical and horizontal positions of the electric box;
b) providing a device having a positioner and a cutting template according to the present invention;
c) mounting the positioner of the device of step b) on a ruler the positioner being mounted on the ruler at the vertical position measured in step a);
d) positioning the cutting template of the device of step c) at the horizontal position as measured in step a); and
e) cutting the opening around the cutting template of the device of step b).
A kit for measuring and guiding the cutting of an opening in a wall is also provided in accordance with the present invention. The kit comprises:
a positioner with a main axis, mountable on a ruler in a sliding relationship with the same along a direction parallel to the main axis ; and
a cutting template interconnected to the positioner so as to be movable with the same, for guiding the cutting of the opening in the wall, the cutting template being selectively rotatable between a first position where a longitudinal axis of the same is parallel to the main axis of the positioner and a second position where said longitudinal axis is at right angle with the main axis.
An advantage provided by the device of the present invention is that it allows easy positioning and cutting of an opening on a wall in one or different orientation as the device comprises a component viz the cutting template that is adapted to rotate between different positions around a central axis thereby allowing the cutting template to be adjustable between a vertical position and a transversal position.
The present invention and its advantages will be more easily understood upon reading the following non-restrictive description of the preferred embodiment thereof, made with reference of the following drawings.